Internal combustion engine



`une 27, 1933. l. SKLENAR INTERNAL CoMBUsTIoN ENGINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l originai Filed June 2, 1927 Original Filed June 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 27, 1933. y. SKLENAR 1,915,582

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Original Filed June 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmm /N 78N TOR i slide-valve. To further improve the pack-7 Patented `lune 27, 1933- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IGNACZ l JULES KELLER, OF BUDAPEST, HUNGARY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application led June 2; 1927, Serial No. 196,072, and in Hungary October 4, 1926. Renewed July This invention relates to an explosion or internal combustion engine having a plurality of rotating or stationary cylinders arranged in star shape and controlled by an annular slide valve, provided With suitable suction and exhaust ports. The said cylinders and the said annular slide-valve have periodically communicated to them a relative motion in such a manner that the openings in the slide-valve and the corresponding opening in the cylinders register at times corresponding to the strokes or cycles. T hus,y at the suction stroke and exhaust stroke one opening respectively of the annular slidevalve registers with an opening in ,one of the cylinders corresponding to the stroke, while during the compression stroke and the combustion the openings in the cylinder is covered by the fuil portions of the slide-valve.

With an engine of this type' the packingv between the annular slide-valve and the cylinders must be as perfect as possible.. It is,

the object of the invention to improve the packing between the cylinder and the slidevalve. According to the invention this end is attained by providing the openings in the cylinder with resilient packing boxes and pressing the same with adjustable pressure against the lslide-valve, and -furthermore by arranging between the cylinders resilient slippers forming a packing for the annular ing' the surfaces of the packing boxes and slippers in contact with the annular slidevalve are made in a spherical form. According to one form of the invention the surface pressure to be communicated'to the sliding packing adjustable lever system on which the slippers are arranged. I

In the accompanying drawings several forms of the internal combustion engine according to the invention are shown by way of example. Y

Fig. 1 is va taken through machine with the mix trol means.

Fig. 1a is a partial cross section of the gear longitudinal sectional view one of thel cylinders of the ure pipe and the congrooves 1s controlled by an cylinders 1. The `gear the shaft 11 of which box, taken at right angles to the section of Fig. l.

Fig. 2 shows, on a reduced scale, in side elevation the arrangement of the cylinders of the engine with the balancing of the movable slippers securing the packing of the annular slide-valve.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view, taken on line 3 3 ci' Fig. 1 and shows the arrangement of the head portion of the cylinder and the packing for the annular slide-valve. Figs. 4 and 4a are similar views showing modified formsofthe packing of the annular slide-valve.

Figs. 5 and 6 show the arrangement of the cooling ribs provided on the ull portions of the annular' slide-valve in vertical section and top View.

Figs. 7 and covering the exhaust port of the annular slide-valve.

Referring now to the drawings, the internal combustion engine diagrammatically shown comprises in a known manner a plurality of cylinders 1 arranged vin star shape (Figs. 1 and 2) and rotating around the stationary main shaft 2. The gearing is pery formed by an annular slide-valve 3 which, in the form shown. is also rotatably arranged and rotates in the same direction as the cylinders 1. The annular slide-valve is rig-idly secured to the closed gear casing 5 of the machine by means of the spokes 4. The driven shaft 6 is rigidly connected to the cylinders 1 so that the power is directly transmitted to the said driven shaft 6.

Between the gear casing 5 rigidly secured to the annular slide-valve 3, and the cylinders 1 a suitable gearing must be inserted. The gear casing 5 is provided with an inslde toothing 8 on which rolls -a gear-wheel 9, the shaft 11'* of which is supported in the wall 12 rigidly connected to the driven shaft 6 and the wheel 9 meshes with a second gear-wheel 10 of the same diameter, is similarly supported in the wall 12. Sitting on the shaft 11 on the opposite side of the wall 12 there is a larger gear 1.3 which rolls round the toothed portion 14 of the stationary shaft 2. In Fig. 1'L the direction of rotation of the cylinders 1 is shown by the arrow a. The gear wheel 13 rolling on the stationary gear wheel 14 revolves in the sense of the arrow vb and the gear wheel 10, being coupled with the gear Wheel 13 by the shaft 11 rotates in the same direction, arrow c, whilst the gear wheel 9 meshing With the gear wheel 1() revolves in the opposite direction, arrow d. As the gear Wheel 9 is meshing with the internal toothing 8 of the gear casing 5, this latter revolves in the sense of the arrow e, i. e. in the same direction as the cylinders 1. The slide valve 3 is rigidly' secured to the-gear box 5 and rotates in the same direction.

In the form shown by way of example every cylinder 1 of the internal combustion engme according to the invention has a sin.

gle port 15 provided in the head portion of the cylinder. The said port 15 is arranged in a separate neck portion 16 (Figs. 1 and 3) which also comprises packing means for the annular slide-valve 3. In the forms shown in Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 4a a separate packing ring 17 serves to provide a packing for the annular slide-valve 3, the said packing ring` being loosely and displaceably seated in the neck portion 16. The packing 17 is arranged so as to be capable of sliding loosely in the neck portion and is pressed against the annular slide-valve 3 by the pressure in the cylinder.

The experiments made by the inventor have proved that the capacity for axial sliding ofthe packing 17 is inadequate to obtain -a perfect joint, as it is necessary that the packing shall also possess a capacity for motion in a peripheral direction. To this end in addition to the arrangement of the packing in the cylinder head so as to be capable of sliding loosely, in accordance with the invention the surfaces of the packing 17 and of the annular valve 3 in contact with one another are spherically formed, Figs. 1 and 3, which renders it possible for the packing 17 to adjust itself in all directions, conse uently not only in accordance with the mentioned axial capacity for sliding, but also in the peripheral direction by turning round on its longitudinal axis, so ensuring uniform Wear and a permanently satisfactory packing.

It is furthermore essential to be able to select the pressure with which the packing 17 is pressed to the annular valve 3, corresponding with the conditions ruling from time to time. This pressure is dependent upon the area of the surface on which the pressure ruling in thev cylinder takes effect. In the case of the form of construction in accordance with Figs. 1 and 3, the cylinder pressure takes effect on the whole annular shaped under surface of the packing 17. If the pressure in the cylinder is indicated by p and the area of the annular shaped under surface of the packing 17 by F, the packing 17 is pressed against the annular valve with a force K=p. F. Under certain circumstances this pressure is too great, and care must therefore be taken that the packing presses with a lesser pressure. This is obtained by producing a counter pressure taking effect counter to the pressure exerted on the maximum cross section surface of the packing body by shaping the inner surfaces 20 of the packing body conically, Fig. 4. A pressure is thereby exerted on the packing body, the volume of which is determined by the difference between the full projection falling against the interior of the cylinder and the projection a of the conical portion of the packing facing the annular valve. This pressure can easily be adapted to the conditions ruling from time to time, if the area of the difference between these projections is suitably selected.

In the form shown in Fig. 4a there is arranged besides the packing ring 17 lseated in the neck portion 16 of the cylinder 1 another packing ring 17a which surrounds the outer periphery of the said neck portion 16, may slide thereon and is pressed With an adjustable pressure against the annular slidevalve 3. In theform shown in Fig. 4a such adjustable pressure action is performed by the Hat spring 19a one terminal of which is fastened to the vslipper 21, which will be described more closely below, the other terminal leaning against the lower edge of the packing ring 17a. By this arrangement a still more perfect packing may be attained.

The adjustable pressure action may be performed by other means, as for instance by spiral springs or the like.

The rotation of the packing ring 17 in the peripherial direction may be further promoted by the arrangement of inclined wings 171) on its inner periphery. By means of such Wings the packing ring is rotated in alternative directions during the suction stroke and the exhaust stroke whereby its wear is reduced and its life lengthened.

The annular slide-valve 3 must be provided with a packing not only at the cylinders but also between them. According to the invention there are arranged to this purpose freely displaceable slippers 21 (Figs. 1 to 3) which surround With their cylindrical projections 22 the neck portions 15 from outside and are thereby guided on the latter. The slippers 21 are so arranged as to form a closed ring surface together, pressed against the annular slide-valve 3 by the centrifugal force. It has been found, however, that if the slippers are acted upon by the centrifugal force alone the pressure with which they are pressed against the slide-valve is not always uniform and does not correspond under all circumstances to the particular Working conditions of the engine. It is therefore advisable to make the pressure exerted by the slippers 21 adjustable.

frame 23. The shoes 21 are each provided with two bearings in which links 26 4are loosely pivoted. Arms 27 are linked up to the free ends of these links, which arms are pivoted to the free ends of the stays and carry adjustable weights 28.

By adjusting the length of the arms 27 and the size of the weights V28, as well as their distance from the fulcrum point of the arms 27 it is easily possible to regulate the pressure of the shoes 21 corresponding to the condi tions ruling from time to time.

The surface of the slippers 21 which lare in vcontact with the annular slide-valve 3 are also of a spherical form.

The explosive mixture is supplied to the suction port 7 of the annular slide-valve through the hollow shaft of the engine. The mixture from. the shaft enters the closed crank shaft casing and is conducted by trough like elbows 29 arranged in a circle (Fig. 1)A

as well^as by the suction pipes 30 to the suction port 7. The suction pipes 30 are fastened to suitably cut out spokes 4 of the annular slide-valve 3.

The annular slide-valve 3 is somewhat cooled down by its rotation itself, it is preferable however, to arrange separate cooling ribs on the full portions thereof. In. Figs. 5 and 6 a preferable form of such cooling arrangements is shown by w-ay of example. On the outside surface of the annular slide-valve 3 cooling ribs 31 are formed or are secured to the slide-valve 1n theorm of separate pieces.'

According to the invention such ribs are of a shovel form (Fig. 6) so that between two of the ribs guiding channels 32 for the -air are formed. The annular slide-valve- 3 is rotating in the sense of the arrows 33 whereby the air is sucked in on the outside inthe direction of the arrow 33 and is pressed out on the inside in the direction of the arrow 34. As will be seen, by this arrangement an uninterrupted changing of -air is obtained whereby the cooling is considerabl promoted.

In Figs. 7 and 8 one orm of the closing means for the exhaust ports of the annular slide-valve 3 is shown. According to the invention on the said exhaust ort closing means 36 are provided. Such c osing means comprise a rectangular frame the aperture 37 of which corresponds to the exhaust port of the annular slide-valve. Within the frame shovels 38 are arranged which are bent in a direction contrary to the direction of rotation of the annular slide-valve 3 (arrow 33). During the rotation of the annular slide-valve a suction effect is produced by the arrangement of the shovels. 38 facilitating the removal of the exhaust gases and at the same time a pressure is exerted on the shovels in the direction of rotation of the an nular slide-valve'which. promotes the rotation of the latter.

Of coursethe ribs`38 may be arranged directly on the exhaust ports themselves of the annular slide-valve 3.

In the foregoing, by way of example, an explosion engine has been described. It will be understood, however, that the invention may be readily employed in connection with internal combustion engines, Diesel engines or the like. Forthis purpose it will not be necessary to change the invention idea in any way but it will sulice to realize the same in accordance with the working principles of the particular engine in question.

I claim zv 1. In an internal combustion engine having cylinders arranged in star shape, a port in the head of each of the cylinders arranged in a separate neck portion, an annular slide valve having intake and exhaust ports therein for controlling the intake and exhaust of said cylinders, and packing means slidably disposed in guides in said neck portion, said contacting surface of the annular slide valve and the contact surface of the packing means being of a spherical form.

2.` In an internal combustion engine having cylinders arranged in star shape, a neck portion in the head of each of the cylinders having ports therein, an annular slide valve having intake and exhaust ports therein for controlling the intake and exhaust of said cylinders and spring supported valve packing disposed in guides in said neck portions having conical surfaces on the sides toward the annular slide valve and the inside ofthe cylinder whereby upon the selection of the projections of the conical surfaces, the pressure of the packing members may be regulated by a counter pressure.

3. An annular valve packing for internal combustion engines of the type as claimed in claim 2, in which the packing means is slidably disposed on the outside of the neck portion and pressed against the annular slide valve by controllable yieldable pressure means.

4. An annular slide valve packing for inv ternal combustion engines of the type as claimed in claim 2 having wings on the inside of the packing members, whereby the packing members rotate during the exhaust and suction stroke respectively.

5. In an internal combustion engine having rotating cylinders arranged in star shape, a neck portion in the head of each of the cylinders having ports therein, a plurality of spherical movable slippers disposed on the head of said cylinders, an annular slide valve with a spherical contacting surface having intake and exhaust ports therein for controlling the intake and exhaust of said cylinders and spring supported valve packing Ydisposed in guides in said neck portions having conical surfaces on the sides toward the annular slide valve and the inside of the cylinder, the spherical contact surface of the movable slippers adapted to be pressed into contact with the spherical contact surface of the annular .slide valve by centrifugal force.

6. In an engine of the character described, a valve packing for automatically maintaining gas-tight joint between a cylinder port and its valve, said packing loosely mounted in said cylinder port to have peripheral movement around said port and' inclined vanes on said packing in the path of the gases passing through said port whereby the passage of said gases through the port aids to move said packing peripherally.

7. An engine of the character described, having multiple cylinders mounted in radial or star arrangement, each of said cylinders having a port for the intake and lexhaust gases, an annular valve having movement relative to the cylinders for controlling said ports, and packings between said ports and valve, said packings being loosely mounted in said cylinders to have relative movement with respect thereto and also with respect to said valve, and said packings having curved faces to correspond to the curved face of said annular v'alve.

8. In a multi-cylinder engine having its cylinders in radial or star arrangement, a port in each ofsaid cylinders, an annular -valve common to said cylinders, said valve vhavlng circumferentlal movement relative to said cylinders to control the admission and exhaust of the gases thereto, a packing for said valve, said packing being loosely mounted in said cylinder ports to have movement both toward said valve and also to partake of thc movements of said valve.

9. In a multi-cylinder engine having its cylinders in radial or star arrangement, a port in each of said c linders, a torus-shaped valvea common to sald cylinders, said vvalvel having relative movement with respectto said cylinders to control the admission and exhaust of the gases thereto ackings for said valve for maintaining gas-tight joint between said c linders and valve, said packings having su stantially spherical faces conforming to the torus shape of said valve, said packings being loosely mounted at said cylinder ports to have movements in both their axial and peripheral directions, whereby uniform gastight contact is maintained between said valve and packings over their contactingA surfaces.

10. In an engine of the character described having a slide-valve for controlling the a'dmission and exhaust of the' gases to the cylinders, a packing for said valve, said packing loosely mounted to have movement both towards said valve and in the direction of move-` ment of said valve, said packing having inclined vanes thereon, said vanes arranged in the path of the intake and exhaust gases of the cylinders, whereby said packing is'moved peripherally of its axis.

11. In an engine of the character describedT of said cylinders having a single port for both intake and exhaust gases, an. annular slide-valve common to all said cylinders, and having operative slidin movement relatively thereto, said slide va ve having admission and exhaust ports in cyclic relation to the ports of the respective cylinders, packings for maintaining gas-tight joints between sald valve andthe cylinder ports, said packings( being loosely mounted to have movements both in their axial and peripheral directions, means for automatically pressing said packings against said valve, shoes mounted on and between said cylinders and automatically.

operating means for pressing said .shoes against said valve, cooling fins on said valve and vanes mounted in the exhaust ports of ,said valve, said vanes reversely to the direc- .tion of movement of the valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

IGNACZ SKLENR. 

